The following is a guest post by Jenny Paxson of the Packard Campus.
Thursday, July 18 (7:30 p.m.)
Force of Evil (MGM, 1948)
Abraham Polonsky came to prominence with his screenplay for the box-office success of the John Garfield boxing drama “Body and Soul” in 1947, and made his directorial debut a year later with Force of Evil. Acclaimed as a masterpiece of postwar American noir, the drama tells of mob lawyer Joe Morse (John Garfield), working for a powerful gangster, who wishes to consolidate and control the numbers racket in New York. This means assuming control of the many smaller numbers rackets, one of which is run by Morse’s older brother, Leo (Thomas Gomez). The plot which unfolds is a terse, melodramatic thriller notable for realist location photography and almost poetic dialogue. The film was selected to the National Film Registry in 1994. Digital presentation, 79 min.
Friday, July 19 (7:30 p.m.)
The Wages of Fear (Distributors Corporation of America, DCA), 1953)
In a squalid South American oil town, four desperate men sign on for a suicide mission to drive trucks loaded with nitroglycerin over a treacherous mountain route. As they ferry their explosive cargo to a faraway oil fire, each bump and jolt tests their courage, their friendship, and their nerves. The result is one of the greatest thrillers ever committed to celluloid, a white-knuckle ride from France’s legendary master of suspense Henri-Georges Clouzot. This French-Italian production stars Yves Montand and is based on the 1950 French novel Le salaire de la peur (The Salary of Fear) by Georges Arnaud. 147 min. Presented in a new 35mm print created from a complete HD digital restoration, courtesy of Janus Films.
Saturday, July 20 (7:30 p.m.)
First Man (Universal, 2018)
Ryan Gosling stars as Neil Armstrong in this intimate account of the first manned mission to the moon, focusing on the decade leading to the historic Apollo 11 flight. Told from Armstrong’s perspective (based on the book by James R. Hansen), the film explores the triumphs and the cost – on Armstrong, on his family, on his colleagues and on the nation itself – of one of the most dangerous missions in history. Directed by Damien Chazelle (La La Land), First Man features Claire Foy, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler and Corey Stoll in the supporting cast. Shown on the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing in which Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first two men to set foot on the lunar surface. Rated PG-13. 35mm archival film print, 141 min.
For more information on our programs, please visit the website at: //www.loc.gov/avconservation/theater/